Family Portrait
by Heldon16
Summary: Finale Spoilers - The two Claire/ Charlie scenes from Claire's POV.
1. Chapter 1

"_You don't choose your family. They are God's gift to you, as you are to them."- Desmond Tutu_

This couldn't be happening!, not here, not now, she wasn't ready!, she wasn't even at a hospital, that's where people generally tend to have babies, not backstage at a concert!. She looked sideways, there was a man stood there holding a guitar, he was looking at her like he couldn't believe what he was seeing, and seemed to shocked to do anything worthwhile, how about you get help! she thought. She heard footsteps and suddenly Kate was stood beside her, Kate, the woman who had held her at gunpoint only a few days ago was the only person who was here at what could be the birth of her child, she couldn't help but feel lonely but the feeling soon passed thanks to the small matter of the impending likely hood of childbirth.

"Small world…" she heard Kate mutter and she couldn't help but agree, off all the people to run into, although, perhaps she would get her credit card back, what processed her to give it her in the first place she had no idea. She found Kate directing her to the nearby sofa, it was the only place where she could possibly sit

"Just breathe okay" Kate said, obviously panicking and she couldn't blame her, it wasn't likely that she had ever delivered a baby before, and as that thought crossed her mind she couldn't help but be annoyed at herself, she had only made herself panic more now

"It's happening like - like right now!" she said, she couldn't do this, it wasn't surpassed to be this way, she was surpassed to give it to loving parents who could take care of it, she couldn't take care of a baby!.

"Right, I need you to get comfortable and relax" Kate spoke, clearly taking control of the situation, she was glad someone was because she surely couldn't "I want you to relax and breathe, okay, just relax and breathe" and it was then that she noticed they had been joined by a third person, a man, who appeared in his twenties, she couldn't shake of the feeling that she knew him from somewhere, but she really didn't care right now, she just wanted to get through this, but still - she wasn't really comfortable a total stranger being here unless they had too.

"Who are you?" she asked

"I'm with the band" he replied, not taking his eyes of her, she could only imagine what he must be feeling at walking into such a scene, she bet he wished he had carried on walking, Kate suddenly stood up and turned to him "Listen, can you get me some water and blankets?, please" she asked him and he repeated what she had said before nodding his head and rushing off to find the objects, Kate quickly returned to her side, she didn't want to do this, she couldn't, they'd manage to stop the labour once, couldn't they do it again, she wasn't ready!.

"All right, this is the time you start pushing" Kate said, tying her hair up out her face, she couldn't do this, she just couldn't, she couldn't be mother, she'd be a terrible mother she just knew it and the baby would resent her forever. She was shaking her head and Kate seemed to have noticed

"I'm not ready!" she cried "I'm really scared"

"I'm scared too" Kate responded "really scared, but I can't do this without you, and I need you too start pushing on three. One. Two Three"

Claire began to push, and it hurt, she could hear Kate telling her to push and she couldn't do anything but push, she just wanted it too be over, she wanted the child to be born already. She glanced at Kate who had the strangest expression on her face, if Claire didn't know better she seemed to be staring wide eyed at her - um, well her womanly parts, great she thought, now I can add freaked out to my list of emotions.

She watched as Kate lifted the child in her arms, Claire could only stare at her son, her beautiful son who seemed perfectly healthy, her perfectly healthy Aaron. Her mind stumbled, Aaron?, where did that come from, and Kate held out the baby Claire couldn't wait to hold him, to love him, and the moment she held him in her arms, it hit her.

Heartbreak off Thomas leaving, the awful plane crash, the British stranger - except he was no stranger, he was Charlie. Peanut Butter from empty jars, giving birth on the island, Her, Charlie and Aaron, Charlie kissing her one final time, Charlie dying, three lonely years alone, leaving the island, her mother, Aaron growing up, her peacefully death. She saw it all in a matter of a second.

"It's Aaron" she sobbed, holding him tightly, her beautiful baby boy, her perfect son. She heard footsteps and looked past Kate and she froze, she couldn't believe what she was seeing, standing in front of her was Charlie Pace. His hair was shorter but she could never mistake that face, all her life she had remembered it, for what he did, who he was, and what he meant to her - she even bought a t-shirt with his picture on it (which she only wore at night and didn't really tell anyone about). Kate stood up, looking at Charlie with a similar expression that she herself must be wearing right now

"I brought a blanket" he said weakly and Kate smiled brightly "thank you" she replied through her tears, and she, unlike Charlie knew that he was not getting thanked for getting blankets, but for what he did, and what he sacrificed for them all.

"It's just a blanket" he replied weakly, and Kate just looked past him and looked directly at her "go ahead and bring it too her" she smiled and Charlie seemed confused for a second and she couldn't help but smile, that adorable confused look that she hadn't seen in so many years, Charlie turned and knelt beside her, he was so close to her now, she couldn't stop staring at him, apart from the hair he was exactly like she remembered him too be.

"Couldn't bring you any water" he smiled softly and a small amount of pain hit her at the mention of water, the very thing that had taken him away from her, but he wasn't away, he was right in front of her, all he had to do was remember who he was, who she was, and who Aaron was, and how they had all once loved each other. She wanted him to remember so much, and she slowly moved her hand closer to his, and hoping for the best, she grasped his hand and heard his breathe intake as he started to remember.

"Charlie" she cried tears of joys as she knew he was remembered, she clutched Aaron tightly as she couldn't believe this was real, they could actually be a family again, a proper family like she had once envisioned before fate had played its cruel hand and pulled them apart. Her eyes suddenly meet his and she knew he remembered, she could see it in his blue eyes

"Claire" he whispered, as if he was unwillingly to believe it was real, as if it was too good to be true, he quickly placed his hand on her check as if needing to feel her and she returned the favour, even off the island he still didn't seemed to have mastered the art of shaving.

And then they kissed.

She never wanted it too end and it broke all too soon as he rested his forehead against hers, tears running down his checks, as Aaron let out a sudden cry, apparently tired of being ignored it seemed, and Charlie's eyes lit up as he turned towards him, the one thing she loved more than anything about Charlie was how he was with Aaron, who this whole seemed to centre around him, just like hers did.

"Hi Aaron" he smiled brightly as he soothed the baby, Claire wrapped her arms around them both, holding them both close to her and she cried.

**A/N - Hope you all enjoyed it, there's going to be one more chapter which is Claire's POV of the church scene, which includes her reaction when she learns Charlie crashed Desmond's car and almost drowned…again. **


	2. Chapter 2

"We're here" Charlie said as he stopped the car, the large church looming in front of them in the darkness. Claire was sat in the passenger seat, Aaron wrapped in her arms and her eyes focused on Charlie as if she was afraid he would simply disappear and leave her again.

She had been telling him about her life, she tried to stop herself from lying but she left out some parts, mostly he parts that included her killing several people (though she didn't know why, Charlie himself had once killed a man), she had also left out the many times she took residence in Santa Rosa Mental Institute because off her experiences on the island. She mostly kept to how she watched Aaron grow up and go to college and university before she had died in her early forties. She didn't regret her life at all, she got to see her son grow up and that was all that mattered too her.

"Did you ever get my ring?" Charlie asked suddenly as he messed with his familiar silver ring on his finger "I left it in Aaron's crib the day I….well…the day I went for a very long swim" he smiled lightly as if it was a joke which she didn't find funny at all, but she gave a slight smile and nodded "Sun found it and gave it me when we were on Desmond's boat" she answered and she was secretly glad Sun had given her the ring then as she had tragically died - drowned no less only hours later.

"Did you know you were going to die?" she asked suddenly "ever since I found out you left you're ring behind I've wondered, and then there where Desmond's wired visions" and she knew the answer instantly when he couldn't meet her eyes, he always was a terrible liar.

"Why didn't you tell me?" she asked, feeling slightly betrayed

"Because you would have asked me to stay, and how could I possible say no to that" he smiled "and plus, I did tell you not to worry when I was gone"

"Yeah, only when you said gone, I took it like you were coming back"

"I'm here aren't I?" he smiled brightly as if this had been his master plan all along, she could only narrow her eyes. Charlie smiled and quickly climbed out the car, walking round to open her door so she could climb out with Aaron.

"You ready?" he asked and she smiled, she had never been more ready for anything, and together they walked to the church, his hand around her waist as they walked towards the door, she let her head rest on his shoulder as they stopped at the door "do we knock?" she heard Charlie ask and she was about to answer but the door swung open and they heard a massive yell of "Dude!" and before they knew it Charlie was lifted off his feet and trapped in a massive hug being provided by Hurley "Nice to finally see you sober!" he laughed and Claire couldn't help but feel confused until Hurley told her a funny story involving Charlie, drinking and a tranquilizer dart.

"So who's here?" she asked and Hurley finally let Charlie go to turn to her and Aaron "There's me, Libby, Shannon, Boone, Sayid, Penny and Desmond" he answered

"Desmond's here" Charlie said suddenly "excuse me, I have to go have a chat with him" he smiled before walking into the church after kissing Claire on the forehead, Claire however was confused, and apparently so was Hurley

"He high?" Hurley asked as he desperately tried hard not to laugh at her annoyed reaction to the question.

Claire, Hurley and Aaron entered the church together, her eyes immediately sought Charlie who was talking to Penny and Desmond, the latter off whom looked over to her and smiled as she walked over to join them, immediately taking Charlie's hand as she reached them. Charlie turned to her and smiled but she wasn't fooled

"So what's so important?" she asked and Charlie quickly shot a look to Desmond who looked the other way, Penny shook her head and sighed "He doesn't want you to know he crashed Desmond's car" she laughed and now she was confused, he hadn't remembered until a couple of hours ago and they hadn't been apart since, Charlie and Desmond cleared their throats and began to tell her the story of how they had met, she couldn't help but smile when Desmond recounted the description of a blond woman that Charlie had seen and she leant onto his shoulder once more.

Then they got to the actual crash, and she was not as pleased, she'd also noticed that Shannon, Boone and Sayid had arrived, Sayid and Charlie had given each other a one arm hug which didn't last long but she guessed it was too be considered "manly".

The idea of Charlie dying in a car crash worried her, the idea off Charlie dying again hadn't left her mind since she remembered him, but then she remembered, could he die here?, what would happen if he did die?. Then however, they came to the part how he had almost drowned when the car went into the ocean

"Dude!" Hurley spoke "Armbands man…they keep you afloat…buy some" he laughed, Charlie was looking at Claire with puppy dog eyes

"In my defence, I survived" he mumbled before turning to talk to Boone and Shannon

"Can I speak to you for a second" Claire said and Charlie sighed before allowing himself to be lead off away from them, he thought he heard Boone whisper something to Sayid causing the latter to nod and laugh.

"You almost drowned yourself!" Claire said shocked once they were in a private place, Aaron awoke at that moment as if to save Charlie a long talking too, he had never loved the little guy more than this moment.

"Ohh look who's finally awake" Claire cooed over him and Charlie had half a mind to sneak off and live another day, however he decided to stay and watch over the scene in front off him.

"Look" she heard Charlie speak "I'm sorry for almost drowning….again, but we're here now, and we'll be leaving soon, just got to wait for Sun, Jin, Sawyer, Jack and Kate"

"and Juliet" she replied and noticed the look off confusion on his face "Juliet and Sawyer, they were a couple for three years, he won't leave here without her" she explained having to laugh at the confused expression on his face, it was then she looked over his shoulder to see someone smiling boarding towards him as they walked over, Charlie seemed to notice her gaze and saw Rose walking towards him.

"Come here you!" she smiled as she pulled him into a hug, Charlie smiled brightly and Claire stepped forward taking his hand again, she knew he was right, all that was behind them now, there was only whatever lay ahead and that's all they needed to care about.

"Can I hold him?" he asked, and she knew he had wanted to ask it all night but had stopped himself for whatever reason she couldn't explain, without a word she passed Aaron over to him and his eyes lit up as he looked down at him, it was then that Sun, Jin, Sawyer and Juliet entered, her and Charlie greeting them all warmly, although it was slightly awkward for him and Juliet at first but they got past it, and now they knew there were only three people missing from their group, Kate, Jack and the one she was most nervous in seeing, John Locke, not because she didn't like Locke, but she was scared that she would forever see the man she once considered her friend instead, however she learnt she didn't have worried when he did arrive, they looked exactly the same and yet extremely different, there was a warmth about John Locke, you couldn't help but like him, it's what she had always liked about him.

With the arrival of Locke, there were only two people left, she found Charlie stood with Jin and Sun and went over to join them hoping they weren't having a awkward talk about the experience of dying by drowning, something she wouldn't put past Charlie, thankfully however they were talking about Aaron, she leant into his shoulder and leaned over him to admire her beautiful baby boy when Kate entered and she was immediately welcomed by Hurley and Libby. Claire took Charlie's hand and knew there was nothing left to do now but wait for Jack to arrive and then it would be time to move on to whatever came next and she knew whatever it was, it would be worth all the misery on the island, because it had given her Charlie, and Aaron, and everyone else who was stood in the room with her, and they would all be moving all together, and she wouldn't have it any other way.

**A/N - Well there you go, I hope you enjoyed it because I sure enjoyed writing it, let me know what you felt in lovely reviews of which I can't get enough. As for Claire being given the ring on the boat, call it wishful thinking for a deleted scene in "The Last Recruit" . I've also decided that this won't be my last LOST fic, because lets face it, LOST is too awesome not to live on in fan fiction. **


End file.
